The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) condemned on Sunday, April 29, the murder of 37-year-old priest Father Mark Ventura, who was shot dead by riding-in-tandem killers after saying Mass in Gattaran, Cagayan.

“We make our appeal to the authorities to act swiftly in going after the perpetrators of this crime and to bring them to justice,” he added.

“The brazen attack on the 37-year-old Fr Ventura, known for his advocacy against mining and being of aid to indigenous peoples, has no place in our society and under this administration which boasts of prioritizing law and order and brags about reduced crime rates,” Pangilinan said.